How to Use This Year to Draft Better Next Year
By Clave Jones
Dec 12, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; Roy Krasik, senior director of baseball operations for MLB holds the Rule 5 Draft during the MLB Winter Meetings at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports
Even though I’ve drafted a fantasy baseball team approximately 4,674 times, I still feel like I learn a little something every time. If nothing else, I’m still learning which snacks play well with different league mates.
(What is it that Nash really likes? Is it pretzels? Cupcakes? No, that’s me. Never mind.)
But I’m also picking up little hints, tricks, trends and play styles that I don’t want to forget about when I draft next season.
Like what?
For example, maybe you picked up on a trend that is happening in your draft. In our league the superstars are going for higher and higher prices, meaning that $12-18 roster fillers are often available for below what you’d expect because the money left the auction table by being dumped into the stars. I need to remember this when I’m putting together next year’s budget!
Or maybe you’ve picked up some insight on the guys you are playing with. If you play in the same league with the same guys year after year you start to pick up on how they tick and the players that they like to target. Trust me, this is information that can and should be used against them in next year’s draft. Unfortunately, I can’t even remember something as simple as Nash’s favorite snack. (Is it Bagel Bites?)
Something that you might not want to forget in next year’s fantasy baseball draft could be as simple as a short list of players that you have your eye on, but you think this year is one too soon to expect a breakout. Next year is their year and you can feel it in your gut.
But I forget these things almost as soon as I had the thought. If only there was a way for present Clave to communicate with future Clave…
Through the Secrets of Time Travel
Here’s what you need to do:
- Keep a piece of paper and a pen with you during the draft. Jot these little insights down as they occur to you. Don’t evaluate if they are important or not, write them all down.
- Take a peek at your notes a day or two after the draft, or whenever you get out of the bathroom from all the horrible snacks you ingested during the draft. (Uh. Those Pizza Rolls…) This is where you edit. Categorize and pull out the main themes and takeaways.
- Head over to futureme.org. This is a great website that allows you to send an email to your future self!
- Type out the letter to your future self
- Schedule it for the beginning of Spring Training next season
- Then hit send and forget about it.
Sure you could’ve just stashed your notes somewhere, but what if you couldn’t remember where? Plus, it’s much more fun to send an email into the future!
Here’s what I sent future Clave:
"“Dearest future Clave,First of all, great job in that draft last year! You nailed it.But I think we can draft even better this year. Don’t worry about Nash’s snacks. He’ll eat anything. Instead, here are three things you learned from last year’s draft…”"
The Bottom Line
You get the idea: Build on this year’s success by being intentional in keeping track of the lessons learned.
What did you learn in this year’s fantasy baseball drafts? Share it with us on Twitter @FBCrackerjacks.